Hello everyone! I'm so excited to be working on this hanging garden project with all of you! So,
we need to establish a few things before we can get to work. First, we need a schedule to follow:
Get together as many of us as possible to take down the garden tiles and bring them up to the greenhouse on the fourth floor
Bend the disfigured aluminium panels back into place
Decide whether the soil needs to be replaced or if we can just pump some life into it with well-regulated watering.
Talk with the tiger's loft and among ourselves to figure out what kinds of plants/vegetables/herbs we want to seed the garden with. Then buy these seeds and start planting them!
Here's where we are going to need to either do some research or rely on the gardening-savvy members of our team (if they exist): We will have to keep the seeded garden tiles in the greenhouse for a good amount of time so that the roots can grow down into the soil and secure the plants (they need to be prepared for the vertical life and the inevitable force that gravity will have on them)... the exact amount of time that they need to stay in the greenhouse, and also when the best time of year to move them outdoors is, is where we need input from either the internet or a knowledgeable gardener.
Once the plants have had time to grow down into the soil (and maybe a little bit up from the soil), we will get together a group and move the tiles outside to be hung up.
There are logistics and elements of this project that I am not very informed on, one of which is the watering system. I'm sure that with a brief tutorial/introduction from Mr. C, or whomever knows most about it, we will all be able to figure it out.
What will be most important in this process is the commitment that we have and the hours we put in. It doesn't have to be the sole focus of our lives, obviously, but it will require us to tend the garden regularly, share in the tasks of watering, harvesting, etc., and any other checking up on the plants that needs to be done.
I know that some of you were interested in helping with this while doing some similar projects (hanging plants in the tiger's loft, for instance) in addition to this one, and I think that those are great! Any projects that people want to do on the side, or any projects that people want to focus on while having only a small role in the hanging garden, are equally as important for the class and for our school, so if you have a greater passion for a different project but want to have a small part in the garden, then that is perfectly fine. I do, though, want to have as many people working on the hanging garden, so whatever time you can commit to it is greatly appreciated, and if you want to invite other greengineers from other blocks as well, that is encouraged.
This process is one that, I think, all of us will be new to, so there is not a great deal of pressure, and it is more of a learning experience. Mostly, we want to have fun and work together to develop our ideas!
Some additional notes:
Here is the planning sheet that the girl who started this whole hanging garden thing did up last year:
this can be our point of reference, but we should also try to veer off the beaten path and come up with our own ideas
One idea that the girl from last year mentioned that I think we could try to make work is bringing the collected rainwater from the roof down to water the plants either in addition to or instead of the water system that is now in place.
Any other ideas the you guys have - please voice them! They are all good ideas and they are welcomed!
Last word: Again, I am very excited to start this process with all of you! I think that it is such an interesting project and it will be loads of fun as well as a great learning experience - plus we will be getting some yummy food out of it all!
Cant wait to get started, see you all around -
Olivia Gomez, Junior, C block Xplore Greengineering
we need to establish a few things before we can get to work. First, we need a schedule to follow:
Some additional notes:
Last word: Again, I am very excited to start this process with all of you! I think that it is such an interesting project and it will be loads of fun as well as a great learning experience - plus we will be getting some yummy food out of it all!
Cant wait to get started, see you all around -
Olivia Gomez, Junior, C block Xplore Greengineering